In midsummer June, the Gobi Desert on the eastern edge of the the Junggar Basin is baked by the blazing sun. In the Zhundong Economic and Technological Development Zone of Changji, Xinjiang, on the northwest side of Sinopec's sixth gas station, a 50 acre piece of land is about to undergo an energy revolution - what needs to be built here is no longer a traditional oil storage tank area, but a disc type solar thermal green hydrogen production station with zero carbon emissions and solar energy as the only heat source. On June 26, 2026, Helios New Energy (Xinjiang) Co., Ltd. officially released the second environmental impact assessment announcement for the Sinopec Zhundong 6 Station Solar Disc Thermal Cracking Water Hydrogen Production Project (Phase I) with an annual output of 20000 tons. This hydrogen production station, which integrates disc spotlight, high-temperature heat storage, Stirling power generation, and reversible solid oxide electrolysis technology, will directly turn sunlight into green hydrogen in the vast Gobi Desert.

Project Overview and Capacity Scale

The project is located on the northwest side of Sinopec Station 6 in Zhundong Economic Development Zone, Changji, Xinjiang, covering an area of 50 acres. After the completion of the first phase, the station will be equipped with a disc type spotlight system, a high-temperature heat storage device, a Stirling generator set, an RSOC hydrogen production reactor, a hydrogen purification device, and a complete set of intelligent automatic control systems, which can achieve integrated zero carbon hydrogen production. The designed production capacity is 2 tons of green hydrogen and 16 tons of green oxygen per day, equivalent to an annual output of 660 tons of green hydrogen and 5280 tons of green oxygen. High purity green oxygen can be produced simultaneously for industrial and medical use.

Disc type photothermal coupling RSOC technology route

Unlike traditional alkaline electrolysis of water for hydrogen production, which relies on external photovoltaic or wind power, this project uses a self-developed disc solar concentrator to focus sunlight and generate high temperatures of over 800 degrees Celsius. Through high-temperature heat storage and Stirling power generation, cogeneration is achieved, directly driving RSOC to electrolyze water vapor to produce hydrogen in a high-temperature environment. The entire system uses solar energy as the only primary energy source, with no fossil energy consumption or carbon emissions throughout the process. With the help of thermal storage devices, it can maintain stable operation during light fluctuations and has the ability to continuously produce hydrogen 24/7. It is particularly suitable for the abundant light resources in Xinjiang.

Government enterprise linkage and industrial prospects

In April of this year, Sinopec Xinjiang Petroleum Branch, Hexi New Energy, and the Zhundong Economic Development Zone Management Committee held in-depth discussions, clarifying that they will promote multi scenario implementation around green hydrogen production, coal chemical coupling hydrogen, and hydrogen refueling station construction. Lu Yechun, Secretary of the Party Committee of Sinopec Xinjiang Petroleum Branch, stated that he will deepen the cultivation of the green hydrogen industry chain and assist in the local energy green transformation; Xu Jinpeng, Chairman of Hexi New Energy, proposed to accelerate the conversion of disc solar thermal hydrogen production technology and build a regional green hydrogen scale demonstration base.keywords:Hydrogen energy new energy news

As a pilot project for the overall plan to produce 20000 tons of green hydrogen annually, the first phase of the project not only explores the integrated mode of solar thermal power generation, high-temperature electrolysis, and hydrogenation, but also relies on Sinopec's existing site network to achieve on-site green hydrogen refueling in the future, serving the hydrogen demand of hydrogen energy heavy-duty trucks, mining areas, and industrial parks, and providing demonstration samples for Xinjiang to build a green energy highland on the Silk Road.Editor/Yang Meiling